Locomotive stoking mechanism



Aug. 1, D w Ms LOCOMOTIVE STOKING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 21, 1927 3Sheets-Sheet l I A TTORNEY Aug. 1, 1933.

D. T. WILLIAMS LOCOMOTIVE] STOKING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 21, 1927 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Y hams,

ATTORNEY 1, 1933- D. T. WILLIAMS 1,920,334

LOCOMOTIVE STOKING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 21, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3nvmvroa, DcAYKBLTWi i onus,

' ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 1, 1933 "STATES A ENT OFFICE? Application September, 21,1927 ,Serial- No.'220,9641 V 9 Claims. (Cl. 11105 101.)-

Th'e object of this invention, which relates to automatic stokers,particularly for locomotives, is-to improve-the means .forldeliveringthe. fuel "to and distributing it over.v the fuel-bed so that -i theplacement of the fuel at any or all points on the fuel bed may bereadily accomplished under the control or the fireman; that themechanism "may beapplied to any'existing locomotive with the leastpossible-interference with existing structure and so-asnot to encumberotherwise useful "space; thatit-may be adapted; wheneverautomaticfeeding-forward of thefuel from the bunker to the-point fordelivery into the fire-box fails 'forany'reason; to lend itself tohand-firing sub- ""ject-to the above-indicated selective placement ofthe" fuelon the fuel-bed under the control of the firemanand'alsoadaptedto be quickly and easily removed as an entirety if for any reason suchbecomes necessary ordesiredpand that it maybe-further adapted when thefiring isbeing ."doneimanually-for operation in part by man-controlledmechanically operated means, asthat now commonly used for moving theclosure for the ring opening of the furnace.

Fig. Ishows theimprovedmechanism"in side "elevation in positiononalocomotive of which lthe rearportion: appears in vertical section; 7

Fig.2 is arear'elevation of what; appears in Fig". 1,v but partly .insection;

' Fig.8 is a horizontal section online 3 3, Fig; 1, in which a certainbox partly appears. in such section and the top of the conduit terminaland conduit rotated from a steam-engine, 4, thefuel (coal) is forcedforward fromthe bunker of the 1 tendeiaand .tow the top for such elbow.The elbow -Qin v,the present example Sprotrudes somewhat above the floor5 of the locomotive cab,- back of 45.. the rear wall ofthe fire-box ofthe furnacawhose firingi opening... is .shown at and its .grate-level atw it being understood that the level of the I fuel on the gratedoes notexceed approximately thelevel .of. the bottom of the opening 6. Itis50-.now conunon practice to provide the firing open- .ingLwith'clo'suremeans which is normally-closed land..fiuid-operatedpforopeningsubject .to the control of the fireman, as by pressure ona pedal,

. so .that cold air is. excluded from the firebox ,ex-

cept whenheis actually entering eachshovelful of coaluand he is relievedfromhand-manipula- --tion of the closure means. Such a mechanism-isgenerally shown in the drawings as comprising guides- '7 at-both sidesof the openingG; closure -means therein, usually consisting of a pairofdoors'iwh'ich slide to. and from each other in the guides but here-isshown as comprising a single door-B normally held closed; fluid-actuatedmeans 9 for eifecting the opening of such 'idoor-havingaleverQafuIcrumed at 9?) connected on the-one hand with astud 9c of the pistonof such means and onthe other with a stud 9d on the door 8; and a pedal10 for operating the valve: controlling the fluid" for actuating the'means 9; as this mechanism forms ;no part of cmy invention a moreparticular description-thereof is unnecessary.. I Y

Y, The elbow 1 projectsup back of the firing openving 6 and hasa'frontaldischarge opening thereto =3 buti'islotherwise closed atthe'top (normally) and :at all-sides; To this: end the-terminal 1a ofthe elbow 1'- is" preferably surmounted by the following; structure: 11'11 are two side walls .and 12 a rear wall bolted together in rectangulararrange- 0 efiring opening 6, the'wholethus forming a hous- .ringorboxiopento receive the fuel elevated therexlintot from the terminalandalso at the front, wherethe mentioned discharge opening, desig-' nated1b, exists, and closed at the back and two ides'and also (normally) atthe top. It is removablyfattached to the terminal by bolts 15 pivoted tothe sides of the latter and received by notches- 11a" intheba'salflanges 11b of the side wallsll and'havin'g clamping nuts 15ato bear on such flanges.

The back wall 12 forms a fluid manifold, having 'a'main chamber 16extending its full length and forward thereof a line of distributingchambers 17 each of which is provided with a horizontal line ofjet-outletsl'la open toward discharge "opening 11) and has a valve-seatl'lbaffording communication with the main chamber'through the partition12a separating the latterfrom the distributing ch ambers.- Screw-valves18 arranged to seat on the valve-seats 1727 with their handles 18aprojecting rearwardly are mounted in the manifold, so that the supply offluid from the main to any distributing chamber can be cut off orvaried. The supply to the. main chamber is afforded by a pipe 19, whichmay take fluid from any fluid source, as the locomotive boiler. Themanifoldaf fords means whereby, as fast as the fuel mass is elevated inthe terminal, it may be projected through discharge opening 1b and hencethrough the firing opening 6 into the firebox: since the jets are alinedthe blast possible ,tobe attained will exist substantially as a sheet.

Distribution of the fuel to any part or all parts of the fuel-bedisaccomplished as follows: On a horizontal axis extending across thefiring opening 6 and arranged in the front upper part of the terminal isare pivoted to move up and down a set of, here, four individuallymovable arms 20 and 21. The two arms 20 are fixed, by set-screws 20a, onindividual tubular rock-shafts 22, and the other or intermediate arms 21are fixed, by setscrews 21a, on individual rock-shafts 23 journaled inthe rock-shafts 22, each rock-shaft 22 and 23 protruding laterally fromthe terminal and having on its protruding end a handle 24; for holdingeach arm 20 and 21 at an elevation to which it is all the arms. I

on the door and a link 29 for separably connecting them, the purpose ofwhich will hereinafter There is an eye 27 on the cover 13, a hook 28appear.

Bythe described mechanism the fireman can obtain and maintainproperdistribution of fuel 'over the entire fuel-bed, including from back tofront at each side, by opening some or all of the valves 18'more or lessto bring into action and vary the. force of the components of the entireblast possible and raising into the path of the. resulting fuel streamsuch of the deflectors as his judgment dictates. In short, generallydistributed and selective placementof the fuel on the fuelbed ispossible.

In the event that the fuel-forwarding part of the stoker becomes jammedor otherwisedisabled the fireman can feed the mechanism by hand, to wit,by applying his foot to the pedal 10*which, with the opening of the door8 by the means 9, will cause through link 29 the opening of the. cover13 (dotted position, Fig. 1) enabling him to shovel the coal into thethus-opened upper end of the terminal, which then becomes a receptacleor hopper having a forward outlet to the fuel-bed andmeans to dischargethrough such 7 outlet the thusdelivered,fuel.

If it is necessary for repairs or-other purpose to clear the mentionedbox surmounting terminal 1a from the firing opening such may be'donebyreleasing-the bolts- 15 and swinging the box back on a pivoting bolt29 or also by withdrawing such boltv and entirely removing the box,leaving the stoking to be done by. hand in the 'usual way, in which casethe door 8 (whose closing movement is according to the illustrated con-'ditions' limited to the position where it comes to rest on the box)would fall in closing to completely closing relation to the firingopening.

1. In combination, a furnace having a firing opening, mechanical meansto feed fuel through said opening including a conduit partially closingthe opening and having a discharge outlet thereto and also afuel-receiving opening, a movable closure for the firing opening, amovable said housing.

closure for the fuel-receiving opening, means coupling said closures forsimultaneous opening and closing, and mechanical means for elfectingmovement of one such closure having man-controlled controlling means.

2. In combination, a furnace having a firing opening, mechanical meansto fed fuel through said opening including a conduit partially closingthe opening and having a discharge outlet thereto and also afuel-receiving opening, a movable closure for the firing opening, amovable closure for the fuel-receiving opening, means disconnectivelycoupling said closures for simultaneous'opening and closing, andmechanical means foreffecting movement of one such closure havingman-controlled controlling means.

. 3. Li combination, a furnace having a firing opening,a fuel supplyingmeans partially closing said opening and having a discharge outletthereto and also a fuel-receiving opening, a movable closure for thefiring opening, a; movable closure for the fuel-receiving opening,,means coupling said closures for simultaneous opening and closing, andmechanical means for effecting movement of one such closure havingman-controlled controlling means. v

- 4. In combination, a furnace having a firing opening, a fuel supplyingmeanspartially clos ing said opening and, having a discharge outletthereto and also a fuel-receiving opening, a movable closure for thefiring opening, a movable closure for the fuel-receiving opening, meansdisconnectively coupling said closures for simultaneous opening andclosing, and mechanical means for effecting movementof one such closure,having man-controlled controlling means.

5. In combination, aiurnace having a firing opening, a fuel receptaclecommunicating with the firing opening, a pressure fluid supply includinga manifold forming a detachable upper portion of the rear wall of saidreceptacle, said manifold having a main chamber, and a plurality. of

secondary chambers, independent passages in the manifold connecting saidmain chamber with said secondary chambers whereby'pressure fluid may besupplied to said secondary chambers, and, a valve'in each of saidindependent passages for independently regulating the supply of pressurefluid to a respective secondary chamber, said secondary chambers beingprovided with one or more jet outlets whereby pressure fluid is emittedin a sheet-like blast.

6. In combination, a furnace having a firing opening, a fuel receptacleprovided with a removable housing portion having a discharge outlet tothe lower portion of said opening and being mounted to swing away fromthe opening, and a mechanically operated firedoor normally closing theupper portion of said opening, the

door being of size sufficient to cover the entire opening, said doorautomatically forming a closure for both said upper and lower portionsof the firing opening when said housing is swung away therefrom.

7. The combination with a furnace having a firing opening, of a fuelreceptacle communiing at its upper end a removable housing hinged at itsendremote from the furnace to swing away therefrom, a hinged cover forsaid housing mounted to swing toward the furnace, and a detachablemanifold forming the rear wall of '8. The combination with a furnacehaving a firing opening, of a fuel receptacle having at its eating withsaid opening, said receptacle includupper end a housing portioncommunicating with said opening, said housing portion being hinged atits end remote from the furnace to swing away therefrom a removable topcover for saidhousing and a detachable manifold forming the rear wallthereof 9. In combination; a furnace having a firing opening, a conduitincluding a movable housing portion partially closing the opening andhaving a discharge outlet to the lower portion thereof, a closure forthe upper portion of said opening,- said closure and said movablehousing to-'

